Some Things Are Better Left Forgotten
by emi-face yo
Summary: Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, and the rest of the gang are taking the jounin exam. Full summary inside. SEQUEL UP!
1. Prologue

Summary - Sakura, Sasuke, Naruto, and the rest of the gang are in the middle of the jounin exam when Sasuke meets a new girl who seems to have a very strong tie to his brother, Itachi Uchiha. In no time at all they're kidnapped, Keira and Sasuke are both taken to the Shinohara estate and kept there. Read & Review!

**Disclaimer: i don't own naruto**

**PROLOGUE**

"Keira!" someone yelled. She spun around and waved as her former partner ran up to her.

"Akane?" she asked as he collapsed to his knees.

"Hey... You ready for... the test?" he gasped. She nodded and helped him up.

"Yep, seen Takashi anywhere?" she asked casually. Akane shook his head and looked around.

"Nope, seen _anyone_ anywhere lately?" he asked. She shook her head.

"Well, since were chunin, we won't be fighting together this time... so, good luck!" she said, and turned to run away.

"SAKURA! SASUKE!" Naruto yelled, running up to them. They were talking to the newly appointed Jounin, Shikamaru and Shino.

"What now?" Sakura asked impatiently.

"Kakashi said that we're _supposed_ to take the Jounin exam as a team, but we just can't let them know we worked together." he explained.

"Thank _god_ someone got that. We're not supposed to say anything. We'll have to yell at Kakashi later." Shikamaru said with a small wink.

"Can we really?" Sakura asked, eyeing Sasuke. Shino nodded.

"Whatever." Sasuke said, and walked away.


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto...

**CHAPTER_ ONE_**

"No don't!" Kaine yelled, rushing forward to grab her wrist. She dodged him and disappeared, suddenly reappearing next to Kino. "Keira, stop!" he begged, reaching for her again.

"Hyah!" she screamed as she disappeared again. Kino spun around and threw his shuriken at her. It hit her and a cloud of smoke appeared. He smirked and spun around again.

"Pathetic, Keira. I thought you'd be _much_ more fun." he threw his shuriken at her again the next chance he got. It hit her and she disappeared. He spun around again and saw her. He repeated the throw and watched as it slammed into her fragile form. He smirked and spun again. Suddenly, he was knocked face first down on the ground. A sharp pain shot from his shoulder. His eyes flew to the spot, only to find that Keira had landed on top of him, and the shuriken he'd thrown at her was now digging into both of them. Keira gasped as it plunged deeper and deeper into her skin. She let out a scream as she leaned forward, applying pressure to both of them.

"Stop you idiot, you'll kill yourself too!" Reina yelled, rushing forward to help her partner. Riku stood back and watched, a mild look of shock, and amusement competed for dominance across his face. Kaine yelled something and charged forward. Takashi and Akane lay unconscious in the now totally exposed cave. Akemi watched helplessly from behind the bushes with her partners Akio and Aya.

Tears fell from Keira's eyes as she lay helplessly, pressing down on the shuriken imbedded deep in her left shoulder. Each tear left a pool of moisture on Kino's cheek. Suddenly, he threw her off. A horrible shriek sounded from both.

"Keira!" Akemi, Kaine, Aiko, and Aya yelled in unison. She landed a full ten feet away from her original landing. Her shoulder hit first, causing the shuriken to fly out. From there, she slid five feet and didn't move another muscle. Kaine roared in fury and dived on Kino.

They wrestled on the ground, providing time for Akemi and her team to rush over to Keira. Riku appeared to be waiting for this. He flicked his fingers at them and they were all thrown backwards. Reina rushed over to help Kino. She kicked Kaine in the face and pulled Kino up. He moaned and leaned over against a tree.

Riku had walked over to Keira. He leaned down and smeared a drop of blood off her face. "Such a shame..." he mumbled as he raised his hands. Everything seemed to slow down as he performed the jutsu. She was flipped and thrown another six feet and landed on top of Takashi. His eyes eased open and he saw her lying there, tear streaks traced against the dirt and blood.

He sat up and gently laid her next to Akane. Slowly, he stood and faced Riku, Kino, and Reina. Akemi, Akio, Kaine, and Aya rushed over to stand beside him. Keira's eyes opened, and she searched the scene for Kaine. Finally, she found him, standing side-by-side with Takashi. She smiled and pushed herself up against a tree to watch the fight. Everything seemed to fly by. Kaine, Aiko, and Takashi ganged up on Riku, while Aya made sure Kino couldn't get away. Akemi and Reina fought until Reina couldn't move anymore.

Kino was to badly injured to move anyway, and Kaine, Aiko, and Takashi had no problem holding Riku back. Finally, admitting their defeat, Riku, Kino, and Akemi disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"Keira! Are you okay?" Kaine asked, kneeling next to her.

"Yeah. I'm fine." she said, smiling and heaving herself off the ground. Suddenly, a twig snapped and everyone spun around. Naruto and Sakura had just shown up.

"Hey. What's with all the yelling and stuff?" Naruto asked, looking around.

"Keira was attacked by Riku's team. Defeat the competition while more than half the team is unconscious. Pathetic." Akemi said, stretching her arms out.

"Really? And no one bothered to tell _me_?!" Naruto yelled, stepping out of the bushes, followed by Sakura. Both received fierce scowls from most of the others.

"It's okay, Naruto. I'm fine." Keira said going to sit beside Akane, who was still unconscious. Takashi glanced at them.

"Guess you didn't figure out what's wrong with him?" he asked. Keira shook her head.

"No clue. I'm surprised you woke up." she said sweetly. He shrugged and turned back to the rest. "Thanks." he mumbled and sat down too.

"We gotta go." Akemi said, turning to leave. Aya and Aiko followed silently. Kaine waved good-bye to Keira and disappeared.

"How long are you gonna stand there?" Takashi asked suddenly. Everyone looked at him. "There's no reason for you to stay. Shouldn't you be with Sasuke?" he asked, looking up at them. Sakura blinked and took a step forward.

"Are you calling him weak? Sasuke's perfectly capable of handling himself!" she said quickly. Naruto sighed and folded his hands behind his head.

"We know. Takashi's just saying you should be with your own team. We're fine now. It's okay, you can go." Keira said, looking guiltily at the ground. Sakura gave Takashi a scowl and stormed off. Naruto looked longingly at Keira and Takashi, then turned to follow her.

"Can you believe him? We come to help and he insults Sasuke!" Sakura fumed.

"He wasn't insulting Sasuke." Naruto said, sighing loudly and slouching.

"Oh no, not you too!" she groaned, slouching too.

"I'm exhausted." he said, suddenly dropping to the ground.

"Me too." Sakura agreed, doing the exact same thing. They sat and caught their breaths for ten minutes, enjoying the sounds of the birds and the gentle breeze.

"Sakura... Are you mad about your hair getting chopped off again?" Naruto asked quietly.

"A little. I did spend forever growing it out, _again_. But, it could be much worse, right? At least it's kinda long now." she said, leaning back against a tree.

"Yeah." he mumbled leaning against the tree next to her's. "Has... Has Sasuke said anything yet?" he asked, glancing up into the trees. A slight breeze flew by and ruffled her hair. She tucked it behind her ear and smiled brightly.

"He likes it." she said proudly. Naruto gave her a funny look and went back to staring at the tree tops. They sat in silence for a few more minutes. "Do you?" Naruto glanced at her.

"Yeah." he answered, glaring at the trees.

"Really?" He glanced at her again. She was sitting with her knees pulled up to her chest and staring intently at the ground.

"Yeah." She stood and streatched her arms over her head.

"Let's go, we gotta find Sasuke." she said holding her hand out. He took it and she pulled him up. They uncounciously stood facing each other. Naruto was becoming uncomfortably aware of Sakura's hand in his and how close she was. Finally she smiled again and let go.

"So, where do you think he went?" he asked, crossing his arms behind his head. Sakura stopped walking.

"I have no clue."

"Akane... A-kane... Get... your... lazy... butt... up..." Keira chanted, poking him in the forehead.

"He's not going to." Takashi said, turning and searching the clearing for anything they could eat.

"Sure he is. You did." she said, smiling at him.

"Listen... I just wanted to say... you were great today." he mumbled, turning to look at her. He watched as her head shot up and her hair went flying. He cursed her facing the other way, he'd really wanted to see her expresion.

"How'd you know? You were unconcious." she said, slowly standing.

"No I wasn't. I was watching you." he mumbled. She spun around and gaped at him.

"You were awake?!" she yelped. "I only did it to protect you!"

"Protect me?"

"YEAH!" she yelled, walking up to him and shoving him away. "Don't ever expect me to do it again either!" She winced at the sudden movement in her shoulder, which was still bleeding.

"You okay?" he asked, reaching his hand out. He moved her scarf and saw her shoulder. "Looks painful." He tore a peice of his sleeve off and held it over the cut. She yelped again and jumped back. "Come here. It's gotta be cleaned or it'll get infected."

"Then let it get infected." she snapped. He raised his eyebrow. "WHAT?! It's sore."

"I'm sure it is." he said, smiling at her. He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the stream that flowed nearby. He took his jacket off and began shredding it into strips. Keira watched in fasination. When he was done, he dumped them in the stream and began pulling them out. "Okay, now take off your mini-shirt, thingy."

"WHAT?!" she yelped, jumping up. He sighed.

"Take it off." he repeated. Her mind rejestered what he meant and she sat. Groaning inwardly, she turned around and removed her scarf and shirt. She grabbed the scarf and balled it up in her fists to cover her now-exposed chest. When she turned back around, she found him smiling odly.

"Whatever you're thinking, forget it." she snapped. He shook his head to clear his mind and began to tie the strips together. He wrapped them around her chest and shoulder.

"It's cold." she whined.

"It's wet." She gave him a small frown and went back to adjusting the scarf.

"It's gonna leave a scar." he mumbled. Her eyes widened, and her jaw dropped.

"WHAT?!" she cried.

"It wasn't a clean cut, and it was deep." he explained, standing up and sitting behind her. He tied the ends in a knot and stood back up. "There ya go." She stood and put her shirt back on. He took the scarf and wrapped it around her neck.

"WHERE DID HE GO?!" Sakura yelled in frustration.

"Maybe we should... Wait a minute. THAT'S THE SAME STUPID ROCK WE PASSED FIVE MINUTES AGO!" Naruto yelled, pointing at a rock on the side of the of a tree.

"Naruto it's a _rock_. THEY ALL LOOK THE SAME!" she yelled.

"Nuh uh! This one's got a face." he said proudly.

"A face." she repeated.

"Yep. See it kinda looks like Kakashi-sensei." he said, looking at Sakura. She glared at him and opened her mouth to make a comment, but shut it quickly.

"Very good Naruto." someone said. The two spun around, only to find the rock had turned into Kakashi.

"Whoa. There's three words I never thought I'd hear in the same sentence." Sasuke said, dropping down in front of them.

"Very funny." Naruto grumbled.

"WHERE WERE YOU?! WE JUST SPENT ALL DAY LOOKING FOR YOU AND YOU WERE JUST LAYING AROUND DOING _NOTHING_?!" Sakura screamed, pointing her finger in his face. Sasuke jumped back a little and held his arms out in front of him.

"No no no no! I wasn't! I was tracking someone." he explained.

"Really? And who would that be?" she asked curiously.

"That's enough Sakura. Sasuke was with me all day on a mission." Kakashi said, standing with his arms crossed. She closed her mouth and stepped back to stand beside Naruto. "Sasuke, it wasn't him was it?" she whispered. He dropped his gaze. "I see." she said, her voice awful watery. Suddenly, she spun around and took off running.

"Kakashi-sensei. Why'd you try to camaflouge yourself?" Naruto asked. Kakashi laughed.

"Because, you're still technically taking the exam. I can't walk around freely, seeing as I'm your former teacher." he explained. "Speaking of which, I'll see you around." And with that, he vanished.

"Come on. We gotta find Sakura." Sasuke said, following her footprints.


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: i don't own naruto

Chapter **_TWO_**

Sakura ran through the forest, tears streaming down her face. "Sasuke you idiot." she repeated, as she ran. She vaugly became aware of the thinning number of trees. A clearing was just up ahead and she could hear voices. She slowed down and hid behind a tree.

"I was just saying that it looks stupid." a girl's voice said.

"And since when do you care?" a boy's voice answered.

'Why do they sound so familiar?' she thought. Then, she realized it was Takashi and Keira. She'd went in a circle.

"I've always cared!" Keira yelled. Takashi didn't say anything, but she could hear metal clinging. She peaked her head around the tree.

"Hey Sakura." they said in unison. Sakura sighed and stepped out from behind the tree.

"How'd you know?" she asked sitting next to Keira and Takashi.

"Your chakra. _And_ your hair's bright pink." Takashi said. He pulled a dozen of little silver sticks out of his pocket.

"I told you not to keep them there!" Keira yelled, snatching them away from him.

"Ah, what do you know." he mumbled, snatching them back.

"I know you're gonna stick yourself with them one day and you're gonna die and leave me here with Akane!" she snapped, snatching them out of his hand.

"I'm not gonna 'stick myself' with one." he said, reaching for them. She was to fast for him and she bit his finger. "Ow! You bit me!" he yelped, holding his finger.

"I'll do it again! Don't push it." she growled. Sakura giggled a little. "I'll bite you too." Keira said, laughing herself.

"I can't believe you _bit_ me!" he said, sucking on his finger.

"Wimp." Sakura and Keira said in unison, sticking their toungs out.

"Lemme bite you then." he said, grabbing Keira's hand.

"No! I need my fingers!" she yelped, pulling her hand back. Takashi dived on her. "ACK!!!"

"I want my revenge!" he yelled as she pushed his cheek away with her left hand.

"You are _not _biting me." she yelled back.

"What's going on?!" Naruto asked, falling face first through the bushes.

"It's a long story." Sakura said, standing up and walking over to him.

"A little help?!" Keira yelled. Sakura and Naruto exchanged glances.

"Not on your life." they said and laughed. Takashi gave up and lay back on the grass. Keira smiled and lay next to him. Sakura glanced at Naruto and shrugged. They sat down and stared at the sky through the trees.

"Keira... how many times have you taken the Jounin exam?" Sakura asked suddenly.

"This is my first time. Why?" she asked suspiciously.

"Your first time?! But..." Sakura yelped.

"But?" Takashi asked, sitting up.

"But you... You're really good!" Naruto yelled. Keira laughed weakly and stood up. She walked over to Akane and sat down agian, her back facing the rest.

"Well... Apparently, I'm not that good." she whispered, running her fingers through his hair. "Come on, wake up..." she cried, resting her head on his chest. Takashi sighed and stood up and slowly walked over to her. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her into his lap.

"I think you guys should leave." he said, not bothering to turn around. Sakura nodded to Naruto and stood. She glanced at him again when he made no move to follow her.

"Naruto, come on." she said, grabbing his collar. Finally, he came back to his senses. He stood up slowly and glanced at Keira again, then he turned to Sakura. She nodded and they both vanished in a cloud of smoke. Takashi leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her, slowly lifting her off the ground. He carried her over to the nearest tree and sat down, tightening his grip on her. She buried her head in his chest, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Keira... Don't cry..." he whispered, hugging her closer to him. "Don't cry... Please." Another shiver racked her body as she let out a half smothered scream. Takashi sighed, unsure of what to do next. Fortunatly, Keira's breathing slowed after a few minutes, and he felt her relax. He shifted her so she was sitting in his lap comfortably. Since her hair'd become so messy and the braids had practically fallen out, he'd had no problem just undoing the rest and running his fingers through her hair to unravel the knots. After a while, her breathing evened out as she faded into a long deserved sleep.

Naruto didn't say a word as he walked along side Sakura. She kept glancing up at him, trying to discern what other emotions he was feeling. Finally, she saw a tear glide down his cheek. "Naruto, what's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing..." he said, running ahead. Sakura sighed and caught up with him.

"Don't try to lie to me..." she began. Naruto sighed and shook his head.

"There's nothing wrong Sakura... It's just a stupid idea, that I thought might actually happen..." he said, finding a nice big tree and sitting inbetween the roots.

"You thought Keira might love you... Didn't you?" she asked, sitting next to him.

"It was just some stupid fantasy... Like I said, it's nothing..." he mumbled.

"Don't tell me you think that just because she's sad she couldn't protect Akane and Takashi as well as she'd hoped." Sakura said, with a small laugh.

"That's only part of it. I know she cares about her team way more than us... And that we don't really know anything about her. Not to mention... Nevermind, you wouldn't understand anyway..." he said, slamming himself back against the tree. Sakura sighed and leaned over to look him in the eye.

"It wouldn't have anything to do with the Kyuubi? Would it?" she asked. Naruto's head shot up and he glared at her.

"How'd you know?!" he yelped. She smiled weakly.

"Durring the Chunin exam, when you and Sasuke we're fighting Orochimaru, Sasuke saw it. He mentioned it to me, and we forced it out of one of the viliagers."

"But... There's a law..." he began. Sakura smiled proudly.

"You think some stupid law can stop me from finding someting out? Especially if it's something as important as that?" she said, pushing her hair out of the way.

"Guess ya got a point... But... If you've known... You're not scared?" he asked.

"I could never be scared of you..." she said cheerfully.


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: i don't own naruto

Chapter **_THREE_**

Sasuke was sitting on a tree, a few miles away from his team, listening to a nearby stream. Suddenly, something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. His eyes darted to the stream, more like small river, only to find a blonde haired girl sitting on the bank. He was about to jump down, fully intent on telling her to get the hell out of his sight, until he realized it was Naruto and Sakura's friend. He'd never spoken to her before, but he knew her enough to be polite. He soundlessly jumped down, landing gracefully behind a bush. He was about to say something when he heard her mumble Takashi's name.

She sighed, unravaling her scarf and stripping her 'shirt' and bandages off. She unlatched the belt and yanked it off, finally slipping out of her skirt and kicking off her shoes. She lowered herself into the river, plugging her nose as she dissapeared under the surface. She stayed out of sight for a few seconds, then jumped back up, flinging water everywhere. She leaned against the side of the bank and set to work scrubbing the blood, dirt, and sweat off her body, careful to avoid her unbanadaged shoulder.

Sasuke leaned forward, watching her every movement. He didn't stop himself from gaping at her while she turned around, and leaned her head back into the water, exposing everything she had to offer to him. He smirked as he saw the tatoo of the blue, red, white, and black roses on the inside of her left hip. It was usually covered up by her skirt. As she was coming up for air, she heard the twig snap, and she spun around. Sasuke froze in his spot, caught red handed. Keira's arms instinctivly covered herself as she ducked back down. He had to admit she _was_ rather pretty.

"Sasuke... What are you doing here?" she asked, completly confused. He sighed and steped forward.

"I was sitting in a tree, and I saw you, so I jumped down, but before I could say anthing, you jumped in the water..." he trailed off.

"Oh... Is... Is something wrong?" she asked, suddenly noticing the expression on his face.

"My brother... Itachi Uchiha... He's close... Really close..." he mumbled. Keira flinched at the name, obviously remembering something, then she sighed.

"Turn around for a second." she said, waiting expectantly. He did what she told him to, only turning to face her when he noticed she'd put her 'shirt' and skirt back on and was back in the water. "Come here..." she said. Sasuke gave her a questioning look, until she heaved herself out of the water and walked over to him. She told him to relax as she lifted his shirt off over his head. He didn't protest as she kneeled down and unfastened the weapon holder that was wrapped around his upper thigh. He pulled the wrist guards off and threw them down with his shirt. Finally, when he was only left wearing his shorts, Keira led him back to the river and dived in. Sasuke shrugged and followed her.

"So... Why exactly aren't you with Sakura and Naruto?" Keira asked, sitting on a ledge. Sasuke sat next to her, ignoring how close they were.

"Sakura doesn't want me chasing Itachi. But I have to, so she's mad at me. Something like that anyway..." he explained. Keira nodded, realizing that it was something deeper than just a fued between brothers. Then again, she'd met Itachi before. She knew how cruel he really was.

"Come here." she said, grabbing his arm and pulling him into her lap. The water rushed over them, a wave cooling them off. Keira brushed her fingers over the curse seal. "What's this?" she asked.

"It's nothing... just leave it at that." he said, leaning back against her soaked chest to force her attention away from it. She sighed, making them both painfully aware of how intimite their possitions were. Keira pressed her forehead to the crook of his neck, willing the water that clinged to him to cool her off. Sasuke felt her breath flutter across the seal, giving him chills. Ignoring the heat spreading through his body, he turned around to face her. "This isn't right..."

Keira lowered her eyes. "Don't say that... You need this, you need _something_ to distract you. You're to depresed and locked up inside yourself. Plus, you can stop anytime if you feel uncomfortable." she begged. He was about to protest, but he couldn't find anything she'd said to be a lie. He did need something to distract him or he felt his head would explode. He turned around and let himself relax against her soaked skin. She wrapped her arms around his chest and leaned into him.

"Why are you doing this for me?" he asked suddenly.

"Because... I was going to ask you to start trainging with me. I'm a good ninja, and you're great... I can teach you jutsus you've never even heard of and all you'd have to do is help me get stronger. I'm trying to improve my taijutsu." she said, loosening her hold on him. "That and what I said before, you need distracted right now." she added. He nodded.

"I guess. I've seen you use taijutsu though. You're nearly as good as Lee. I don't know how much help I'd be." he mumbled.

"Lee?" she asked, lifting her head.

"Rock Lee. Just some loser... Actually, if you want someone to help with your taijutsu, he'd be the one to talk to." Sasuke admitted.

"That's not it! My taijutsu's as good as I can get it. I just need to be stronger. I use to much chakra to make myself strong enough when I try it, so I need to train harder. Maybe after I can beat Akane, I'll go ask him to help me. And maybe, since you have the Sharingan, you've got to have really really good genjutsu. I haven't found anyone strong enough to teach me in a long time. Sound like a deal?" she asked. Sasuke sighed and nodded. He'd take any training he could get. And by fighting her every day, he'd get stronger in more ways than one. Plus, he could learn more about her villiage, something everyone'd been trying to do since they showed up. He remembered the last time a hidden villiage showed up. Orochimaru had been behind it. Sasuke could only pray that that wasn't the case this time.

"I'll try to help you with the Sharingan, but I can't activate it unless it's an emergency." he said, casually leaving out the whole curse seal issue. Keira was about to ask something, but she clamped her mouth shut.

"Thanks Sasuke." she whispered in his ear.

"Ahhh..." he made the weirdest sound she'd heard in years. Something between a laugh and a sigh.

"Did that tickle?" she giggled.

"A little." he admitted. 'So we're back to this?' he thought smugly.

"Well then..." she whispered again. Sasuke laughed as he lifted his shoulder to stop her. "Ah ah ah..." she said, tickeling the other side of his neck. Sasuke laughed again as he squirmed against her chest.

"Stop it!" he begged, gasping between laughing fits.

"Make me..." she said, purposley avoiding his ear and breathing on the back of his neck. He froze in his spot. Slowly he turned around, a glare on his face. Keira froze, fearing the worst. Suddenly, his glare turned into a smirk and he kissed her. She let out a yelp, from pure shock. That wasn't what she was expecting. Slowly, she got used to the idea of Sasuke's lips against her's and she leaned into it. Her fingers intertwined themselves in his pretty black hair. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing himself against her body, causing him to blush. He'd never been this close to anyone before. Especially a half naked hot chick.

He hadn't intended to go this far, he'd just meant to shock her into stopping. He couldn't believe he was doing this, and with a girl he'd never really talked to. She'd definitly got him to forget about Itachi. He'd keep remembering this moment when he was sleeping, or when he was suposed to be relaxing. He just knew it.

She obviously thought he wasn't paying attention to the kiss anymore, because she'd pulled away to smile at him. "That was your first kiss." she said. Sasuke quirked an eyebrow.

"How do you know that?" he asked suspiciously. Keira pulled him closer to her.

"It's kinda obvious." she said. Sasuke flinched at the attack on his pride.

"It was not!" he protested. Keira dropped his gaze, still smiling.

"You're a good kisser." she mumbled. Sasuke blushed and forced himself to tear his gaze away from her.

"Thanks?" he asked. She laughed at his embaresment.

"It's nothing to be ashamed about. There's a lot of guys who can't kiss worth crap." she said, almost like she knew from personal experience.

"So... I don't suppose that was the first for you?" he asked, curiosity getting the best of him.

"Unfortunatly, no. You'd die of laughter if you ever found out." she said, rubbing his back. He instantly relaxed. "That's a good puppy dog." she said, kissing his neck.

"Puppy dog?!" he yelped. She burst out laughing.

"That was priceless." she gasped. Sasuke smiled. He liked the sound of her laughter.

"Glad someone's enjoying theirself." he joked.

"You're so funny when you get flustered." she said, gasping for air. He laughed too.

"You're pretty good at distracting people. You've gotta be a great interagator too." he teased.

"You mean, I'm good at getting my way with people?" she asked, ceasing her laughter. Now she had a cocky smile on her face.

"You _are_ good!" he said, raising his voice for dramatic effect.

"I'll have you know _I _don't need to stoop to _that_ level. People usually crack right about now. You're pretty good Uchiha." she said, winking at him. He smirked.

"And what if they don't crack." he asked.

"Well, I _am_ a ninja after all." she said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I'll just beat it out of them."

"Yikes..." he said, pretending to cringe in fear.

"You mocking me?" she asked.

"No no no... Not at all." he said sarcastically.

"You are! Traitor!" she said, leaning forward. Suddenly, he felt her fingers tickeling the back of his thigh. He jumped a little.

"ACK! You cheated!" he snapped, pressing his thigh against her's to smash her hand. It worked, to an extent. She'd obviously planned for him to do that. She ran her bare palm over his inner thigh, causing him to let out a half smothered moan.

"You know you want it." she said, grazing his ear with her teeth. He sighed and shook his head. She smiled and kissed his sholder blade. "I figured you'd do that."

"So why'd you say it." he asked, wishing she'd do it again.

"Wishful thinking." she said seductivly.

"You're trying to get me to, aren't you?" he asked, in shock.

"No, stupid. I'm just playing with you, relax." she said, stifiling her laugh.

"So... You don't want to?" he asked incredulously. She stared at him in disbelief.

"You're worse than a chick!" she said. "Do you want it or not?! It's a simple question." Sasuke thought for a second, causing Keira to smirk. He did want it, but she knew him enough to know he'd never admit it on his own. As if on cue, he shook his head.

"No it's not..." he mumbled. Keira smiled.

"I know." she pulled him into a hug, running her fingers through his hair. Suddenly, he tensed up.

"You know Itachi, don't you?" he asked in a shallow voice.

"We've met." she said, after a second.

"How?" he asked.

"It's a long story." she said, releasing him all the way.

"Tell me. You want me to teach you... Tell me." he demanded.

"I was kidnapped. For no real reason, they just took me." she whispered.

"They?" he asked, so desperate to learn anything he could about Itachi, he didn't see the tears forming at the corner of her eyes.

"Itachi and Kisame. They're in the Akatsuki." she explained.

"Oh..." he figured she didn't know to much more than he did. "I'm sorry." he said.

"Why are you apologizing?" she asked curiously.

"It's the closest thing you'll get to an apology from him. I'm his brother. I'll apologize for him, just cause he won't." he said, dropping his gaze to the rock.

"Do you honestly think I'd be sitting here with you, his little brother, if he hadn't apologized himself?" she asked, smiling sweetly at him.

"Wha..." he asked.

"Itachi didn't really hurt me. Kisame was the one who beat me up. So... He apologized for Kisame." she explained.

"So... He never said sorry for what _he_ did to you?" he asked.

"No... I never expected him to." she mumbled.

"What... What exactly did they do?" he asked cautiously.

"I... I don't wanna talk about it... Maybe one day... Only because you're his brother, you've got a right to know... But today's been a really good day, and I don't wanna remember that now." she said, resting her chin on Sasuke's head.

"A really good day? I saw part of your fight today. You got your ass kicked." he mumbled.

"And this is making up for it." she said sincerly. Sasuke was so shocked, he didn't have a cocky reply to it. "You're pretty cool to hang out with." she added, snapping him out of his daze.

"Surprisingly, you're the first person to ever say that..." he said, smiling at her.

"Really? Well I wonder why. The only people you talk to are the ones you're beating the shit out of." she said, smiling oddly.

"You got a point." he mumbled.

"See... You've got to loosen up. I'll help you with your training to beat Itachi. I've had some experience with his Sharingan, I'll tell you all the tricks I know. I'll help you get stronger, I'll teach you how to activate the Sharingan all the way. See, being cute and innocent looking pays off in the long run." she added. Sasuke was looking up at her like she was an angel.

"You'd... You'd really... You'd really teach me that?!" he stuttered. She nodded and smiled.

"Why wouldn't I? I want my revenge on Kisame and Itachi too ya know..." she said. Suddenly, Sasuke pounced on her. He wrapped his arms around his shoulders and hugged her as tight as he could.

"THANKS!!!" he yelled. Finally, as the overwhelming joy crept away, he opened his eyes to find her smiling at him.

"You realize what kind of postion you just put yourself in..." she said, her voice cracking while she hid her laughter. He quirked an eyebrow again and looked down. He was sitting on her lap, basically stradiling her, all the while he had his hands on her shoulders. A blush erupted across his face as he pushed himself back into the water.

"That's not what I meant!" he yelped.

"I know, I know..." she giggled, reaching her hand out and helping him back onto the ledge. They sat side by side, listening to the water float by.

"We should do this more often. Like after we start training..." he sugessted. Keira glanced at him.

"I was gonna say the same thing..." she said, wrapping her arm around his shoulder.


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: i don't own naruto

Chapter **_FOUR_**

Sasuke walked into the campsight, smirking like there was no tomorrow. Naruto eyed him warily. "Did you kill someone?" he asked. Sasuke gave him an odd look.

"No dobe." he mumbled, walking right past the fire and going straight to his tent.

"Well what the _hell_ was up with that?!" Naruto asked, glancing at Sakura. She shrugged.

"Maybe we should have kept an eye on him..." she said.

"What if that's not Sasuke... It _can't_ be. Sasuke would never smile that much!" Naruto yelled.

"And did you realize no one else calls you dobe." she said, smiling. "That's Sasuke."

"Did he really say that he didn't kill anyone then?" he asked, in total seriousness. Sakura frowned.

"Naruto..." she grumbled. Suddenly, a foot apeared on top of Naruto's head, slamming his face into the dirt. He looked evil in the firelight.

"Shut up dobe." Sasuke said, flopping down next to him. "What's for dinner?" he asked. Sakura gave him an odd look. She held out her hand. There were three berries in it.

"You want 'em, cause Naruto's been begging for an hour." she said, as if she were irked at something. Sasuke shrugged and took them.

"You sure they're not poisoned?" he asked.

"No one bothered to check. There were only three..." she said. Sasuke looked up at her.

"So why don't you eat them..." he suggested.

"I had a walnut. Lee stopped by. There's got to be animals in this stupid forest..." she said desperatly.

"So why doesn't he eat 'em?" he asked, pointing to Naruto.

"He had an acorn." she mumbled.

"An acorn... Original." he said, with a small smile. He glanced back down at the berries in his hand. Suddenly, he remembered seeing the same bush from across Keira's clearing. She'd mentioned Akane had found them before he was knocked unconcious.

"Shit!" Sasuke yelped, jumping up. "I'll be back. Don't eat anything!" he yelled over his shoulder.

Sakura watched him run away. He'd looked so serious. Naruto had pried his face off the ground and was looking for the berry bush. "Are you deaf?! Sasuke said don't eat them! He obviously knows they're poisoned." Sakura growled, grabbing Naruto's collar.

"I don't care if they are, I'm hungry. Have you ever tried to _eat _an acorn?! THEY'RE NOT AS GOOD AS SQUIRRELS CRACK THEM UP TO BE!" he yelled, struggaling to get to the bush.

"Naruto!" she yelled, punching him in the back of the head. He fell to the ground, temporarily unconcious. Sakura sighed. "You deserved that."

"Keira!" Sasuke yelled, jerking her out of her sleep. She scratched the back of her neck guiltily. Takashi dropped down from the tree and landed by her side.

"Sasuke..." he mumbled.

"The berries." Sasuke gasped.

"What?" Keira asked, standing up.

"The berries Akane found... They're poisoned..." he explained, inbetween breaths.

"Poisoned?" she asked, glancing around. "Why? Is Sakura okay? And Naruto?" she asked. He nodded and explained his theory.

"Makes sense to me." Takashi said, jumping back into the tree.

"Thanks for warning us." Keira whispered. She turned around and walked back to her tree. She sat down under it and closed her eyes. Sasuke smiled at her, then vanished in a cloud of smoke.

Sasuke appeared next to Sakura, who was laying on her back, looking up at the stars. He saw Naruto laying unconcious next to her. "Have any problems?" he asked.

"Naruto threw a hissy fit because we can't eat the berries. I couldn't hold him forever so I punched him in the head." she explained.

"You knocked him out?" he asked, studing her face. She'd obviously been worn out from a lack of sleep.

"Yeah... It was easier than it sounds." she mumbled. Sasuke sighed and leaned back against the tree she had previously occupied.

"Get some sleep. I'll keep watch." he reasured her with another smile. Sakura was to tired to protest, so she rolled over and closed her eyes.

"Keira!" Naruto yelled. She looked up from what she was doing to wave at him. Sakura and Sasuke were with him. She quirked her right eyebrow at Sasuke. He nodded and crossed his arms.

"Ready?" he asked. Sakura, Naruto, and Takashi all glanced at them.

"Yeah." Keira said, standing and brushing the dirt off her skirt. She turned around and ran over to Takashi. "Sasuke's going to be training with me today. Can you keep an eye on Akane? If not, we can take him with us." she said huridly.

"I was gonna find a way out of this stupid forest today. So... Just take him with you and don't let anything happen to his stupid ass." Takashi said, storming off. Keira sighed and walked over to Akane's unconcious form. She waved a hand over his face and he dissapeared.

"Come on." she said, walking past Sasuke. He glanced back to where Akane had lay, making sure he was really gone. He shook his head and followed Keira.

"Do whatever you want." he said over his shoulder. Sakura and Naruto watched them leave, both wearing confused expresions.

"What the hell just happened?!" Naruto blurted. Sakura sighed and shrugged.

"Okay. Hold your right fist level with your heart and your left level with your shoulders." Sasuke instructed. Keira did as she was told. "Now, bend your knees. Not that much! Okay good. That's supposed to be the best fighting stance for the kind of taijutsu you're working on." he explained.

"Really, cause it's kind of stupid." she said. Sasuke smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, it is. But you're the one who wants to learn it. Okay, here goes nothing." he said. Suddenly, he charged at her. She let out a startled yelp and dodged him, diving out of the way.

"What are you doing?" she asked, doing a round off to avoid another attack.

"Training you." he said. She gave him a confused look, and twirled around and ducked to save herself from a kick to the head. As suddenly as he'd started attacking, he stopped, smiling at her. "You're good at dodging me, let's see how well you can actually fight me." he said, aiming for her. She took her fighting stance and waited for him to attack. They stared at each other for ten seconds, then Sasuke unexpectedly lunged forward. She blocked him and counter attacked by punching him on the side of the head. He stagered backward, nearly tripping over Akane's unconcious form. "You're pretty good." he stuttered.

"Hey Naruto!" Kiba yelled, running towards them.

"Hey, you're still here Kiba?" Naruto asked, giving him an odd look. Kiba nodded sheepishly, then covered it up with a smirk.

"So are you." he pointed out. Sakura growled and slapped him in the back of the head.

"We're only here because we want to be. We still have time, don't worry, we'll find our way of this with time to spare!" she said, with a smirk.

"What, your precious Sasuke gonna get you out? Hey, where is the loser?" Kiba asked, looking around.

"He... He's training, I guess." Sakura said.

"Kiba, where's Hinata?" Naruto asked, after surveying the area.

"She's talking with Ino. Girl talk." he added in a low whisper. Sakura's eye twitched as she glared at him.

"What was that?" she asked, in her evil voice.

"Nothing!" Kiba yelped, holding his hands in front of him.

"Rrriiiiigggghhhhtttt..." Naruto said, smiling his foxy smile.

"Sasuke... Are you okay?" Keira asked, running over to his side. He'd collapsed on the ground, breathing heavily.

"You're better than me..." he snapped. She jumped back from the force of his glare.

'He looks so evil...' she thought.

"I trained so hard, how can you be better than me?!" he yelled. She sat there, watching him try to get a hold of himself. Finally he turned to look at her, with a woried look on his face. Suddenly, Keira was surrounded by a suffocating darkness. It was drowning her. Her heartbeat sped up and she jumped up to fight whatever came at her. The next thing she knew, she was staring into those haunting Sharingan eyes. His hand clamped down around her wrist and pulled her toward the man standing in front of her. She knew better though, this wasn't Sasuke... It was Itachi.


	6. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: i don't own naruto

Chapter **_FIVE_**

****Her eyes fluttered open and she groaned as a thousand knives stabbed at her brains. A hand grabbed her shoulder and forced her to lay back down. She flinched and struggled against it. Sasuke said something, she didn't catch it. All she wanted to do was scream, punch, and kick at whatever she could get a hold of. Sasuke mumbled something again, though she was ignoring him now.

"KEIRA!" he yelled after a while. She lifted her blue eyes to his dark ones.

"You jerk!" she screamed and jumped up, running away from him. Sasuke didn't say anything as she left. He sat in shock.

"She's crazy!" he thought out loud.

Keira knocked poor Naruto over in her attempt to get away from Sasuke. She ran right into him, pushing him to the side like it was nothing. He gave her a wide eyed look and jumped up to follow her. She did't go to much farther, stopping just inside the forest. There, stood a man with black hair and a strange cape. Naruto stopped following her and crouched behind a tree, making sure his chakra was undetectable, he camoflauged himself into the landscape.

Keira froze when she saw the caped figure. He stared at her with a smug look. Suddenly, Naruto recognized the man. It was Sasuke. He had the Sharingan to prove it. Keira blinked, and in an instant, Sasuke was standing in front of her. "Hey." he said, latching onto her wrist.

"What do you want." she asked, while dropping her gaze to her feet. Sasuke's eyes widened.

"That's a pretty stupid question. I'm here for you and the kid." he snapped. She looked up at him in shock.

"Sasuke?" she asked. He gave her an incredulous look.

"Who else?" he said pointedly.

"I... You can't take Sasuke!" she yelled, wrenching her arm away from him and slapping him. Naruto was confused now. Why would Sasuke want Sasuke? The man glared at her, and suddenly, she was on the ground crying. Naruto was _very_ confused now. He hadn't even touched her and she'd fell to the ground in tears. "I can't take Sasuke..." he growled, grabbing her upper arm and yanking her to her feet. "You wanna make a bet on that?" She let out a muffled scream again. "Good girl." he snapped.

"Don't touch him..." Keira gasped.

"Real threatening." he mumbled. She tried to free her arm from his bone crushing grip, but he wouldn't budge. "You're not helping yourself..."

"SHUT UP!!!" she screamed, covering her ears with her hands and closing her eyes. Sasuke appeared out of nowhere, standing right next to her now. He punched the man in the face and grabbed Keira's other hand. "Sasuke!" she gasped. He didn't say anything, he just threw her to the ground behind him. She landed on her side, flinging her hair out of her face.

"Itachi!" he yelled. Naruto was so confused he was drooling.

"Sasuke..." Itachi said, frowning slightly.

"Naruto, keep an eye on Keira!" Sasuke yelled, diving at Itachi. Naruto heard something about protecting Keira and jumped out of his hiding spot.

"Got it!" he yelled. Keira didn't even take the time to smile at him like she always did. Her eyes never left the fight. That's what told him something was definitly wrong.

Ino sat on the nearest tree stump while Kiba, Sakura, Chouji, and Hinata sat on the ground in front of her. "So this is what's left of the famous 'Rookie Nine' huh?" Ino asked.

"There's still Sasuke and Naruto!" Sakura said defensivly.

"You can hardly count Sasuke with that stupid curse seal." Kiba said. Ino and Sakura looked at Hinata expectantly.

"Well..." Ino asked.

"What?" Hinata asked, giving her a confused look.

"Aren't you going to defend Naruto?" Sakura asked. Hinata shook her head.

"Nope... He doesn't need me to!"

"Sasuke!" Keira screamed, as he landed a few feet away from her. She jumped up to fight, but Naruto grabbed her arm. All she had to do was glare at him and he let her go. Itachi smirked and watched her walk up to him.

"What now?" he asked impatiently.

"You're not taking Sasuke." she said plainly.

"Oh really?" in a few seconds, he stood behind her and wrapped his left arm around her waist and grabbed Sasuke's arm. They vanished in a cloud of smoke.

Naruto looked around, and realizing he was the only one left, he ran back to tell the others.

"So Hinata, how's your training going?" Sakura asked sweetly. Hinata blushed and shrugged her shoulder. "Still have your crush on Naruto?" she whispered so only the raven haired girl could hear. Hinata blushed and nodded. Suddenly, Naruto appeared next to her, doubled over gasping for air.

"Naruto!" Sakura yelped in surprise.

"Itachi-kidnapped-Sasuke-and-Keira!" he said all in one breath. Everyone sent him an odd look.

"What?" Sakura asked.

"Itachi kidnapped Sasuke and Keira!" he repeated.

"Who's Itachi?" they asked in unison. Naruto shrugged.

"He looks exactly like Sasuke." was all he said. Sakura jumped up.

"Waitaminute! Sasuke's in danger?" she asked. Ino jumped up too.

"Why didn't you say so?!" she yelled. Naruto gave her an incredulous look.

"But..." he began, but Kiba cut him off.

"I know who Itachi is! It's Sasuke's older brother! I heard he was the one who killed off Sasuke's enire clan." Kiba mumbled.

"Itachi murdered the enite Uchiha clan?" Chouji asked. Kiba nodded.

"That's what someone told me." he said. Sakura nodded.

"Yeah I heard that too. Sasuke always talks about avenging his clan and killing his brother!" Sakura said. Hinata gasped.

"That's horrible!" she whispered.

"It doesn't matter if it's horrible or not! Keira's in trouble!" Naruto reminded them all.

"Who's Keira?" Kiba asked.

"She's Naruto's _girlfriend_." Sakura said, putting a lot of emphasis on the last word. Hinata grimanced, but covered it up.

"Who in their right mind would date Naruto?!" Kiba and Chouji asked in unison. Naruto sighed and smaked them in the head.

"Watch it." he mumbled.


	7. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: i don't own naruto

Chapter **_SIX_**

"Where are we?" Sasuke asked, sitting up and holding his head. Keira was proped up against the wall, watching him with a blank expresion. He surveyed the room. They were locked in a dark prison cell, but there was a steel door instead of bars. The lights above them had burned out with the exception of a few, that just flickered. There were puddles in three corners of the room, the fourth was covered in darkness. He saw that there was a small window in the door that opened from the outside, apparently for sending in food and air.

"Are you okay?!" she asked suddenly standing and running over to him. He nodded and stood too. She helped him back to the wall she was sitting against and sat him down next to her. "Sorry about freaking out and running away like that. I knew he was close though and..." her voice trailed away.

"And..." Sasuke asked.

"It's just that when I passed out, I had one of the nightmares I get sometimes. When he's close..." she explained.

"That's the Sharingan... Isn't it?" he asked hopefully. She nodded and smiled at him.

"Yeah... Once I figure out how to fully activate it, I'll teach it to you." she said, as she ran her fingers over the curse seal. The seal receded, almost as if it followed her fingertips.

"How'd you do that?" he asked suspiciously.

"I met Orochimaru before. My friend had that very same seal." she explained. Sasuke glanced at her.

"Who?" he asked hopefully. She just shook her head and told him she wasn't alowed to say. "We're not playing games damn it! This is serious!" he snapped.

"And what if someone asked me to tell them about you huh?! You wouldn't want me blabing your whole life story to someone, let a lone someone _you've_ never met!" she snapped back. Sasuke quirked an eyebrow and stood. He walked over to the only corner in the room that was dry and sat down again. She sighed and closed her eyes, resting her head against the wall.

"Soo... Naruto... Is this 'Keira' really your _girlfriend_?!" Kiba asked, poking Naruto on the head.

"NO!" he yelled, shooting a half-irritated glare at Sakura. She smiled nervously.

"Soo... I was right, no girl in their right mind _would_ date you!" Kiba yelled, punching the air.

"SHUT UP!" Naruto yelled. Sakura punched Kiba in the arm and gave him a shut-your-face glare.

"He's just joking Naruto..." Ino said, trying to calm the fuming blonde down. Finally, he covered his agravation up with one of his foxy smiles and nodded to let her know he was alright. Ino dropped back to threaten Kiba some more.

Sasuke groaned as he sat up, rubbing his numb arm. Keira was leaning against the wall, fast asleep. She was frowning and there were tears rolling down her cheeks. He panicked, and ran over to her. He was three inches away from her when she moaned Itachi's name. Sasuke froze in his tracks. She had _moaned_ his brother's name. Not groaned, or screamed, or even cried.

Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled at him. Then, she realized where she was again and her smile faded instantly. She turned her attention back to Sasuke, only to find him glaring at her. She studied his eyes, trying to figure out what exactly he was feeling. After a minute or two, the only thing she could find was betrayal.

"What's wrong?" she asked, reaching her hand out toward him. He slapped it away and glared harder.

"What happened between you and my brother?" he half-yelled, half-cried. She dropped her gaze to the floor, so her bangs covered her eyes.

"When I was thirteen I was kidnapped by Itachi Uchiha and his partner, Kisame. They took me back to their hide out and..." her voice trailed away as she pulled her knees up to her chest.

"He raped you..." Sasuke finished. She nodded and looked up at him with her trademark distant gaze.

"It was the first time I saw the mastered Sharingan being used." she said quietly.

"What's that got to do with anything? And why would he activate the Sharingan while he was..." Keira sighed and slapped her head.

"What all can a person do with the mastered Sharingan?" she asked.

"Advanced genjutsu." he answered automatically.

"Exactly. You take control of the person's mind, therefore, their body too. _You_ control them. He made me _enjoy_ it." she whispered.

"I'm sorry." he mumbled.

"He told me later on that he did it to lessen the pain I felt, though most of it was for his own personal enjoyment, I already knew that. He's not as heartless as you think he is." she said. Sasuke was about to yell at her, but she covered his mouth with her hand. "I know what you're going to say... I've seen what he does to people, and even though I can't justify it, I'm sure he can..." she said.

"So... does he force the dreams on you, or do you just have them regularly?" Sasuke asked, as he closed his eyes, calming his anger.

"He forces me to remember it when he wants to meet me again. Every time." she explined.

"How often do you meet?" he asked, although he was scared to know the answer.

"Twice every year." she said, sighing heavily. "This makes eight."

"How long do you stay?" he asked, curiosity getting the best of him, he added, "And what do you guys do?"

"I stay for a week, and you'll find out soon enough." she andswered.

"You two sound pretty close." he commented bitterly.

"He needs me, I'm his 'experiment' as Kisame puts it." she said.

"What kind of experiment?" Sasuke asked, scooting closer to her.

"Itachi wants to combine _my_ advanced bloodline trait with the Sharingan." she said. Sasuke's jaw dropped.

"Can he do that?" he asked, scooting even closer. Keira shrugged and closed her eyes. "Wait... You have a bloodline trait?"

"Yeah. Imagine the ability to do anything you want, but everytime you use the power, you become weaker. Along with that, I have a _huge_ ammount of chakra and stamina." she explained. They heard a door slam, causing them to jump up and spin around. Itachi gave them a blank look as he tossed Keira two boxes and a blanket. She caught them and glared at him.

"Why'd you bring Sasuke too? What's he got to do with your stupid plan? It's not like you can combine the Sharingan, they're the same!" she yelled. Itachi laughed and shook his head.

"Do you really think I'd try it on myself with out making sure it worked first?!" he snapped. Sasuke growled and jumped up.

"YOU'RE NOT USING ME AS A GODDAMN TEST SUBJECT!" he yelled. Itachi just laughed and walked away, slaming the door behind him. Sasuke growled again and slumped back down against the wall.


	8. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: i don't own naruto

Chapter **_SEVEN_**

He heard a half smothered sob and turned his head to the left. Keira jumped on him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen. I never wanted to hurt you..." she whispered in his ear. "You just weren't supposed to follow me. You knew I didn't want you to, but you did anyway. Why?"

"I... I'm not sure. Something told me to." he said, freezing in place. Keira relaxed and loosened her hold on him. He watched her lean back and stare at him with a blank look. He realized she was debating something. Finally, she started leaning forward. Sasuke's heartbeat quickened. She closed her eyes as he closed his. They were an inch apart when the door flew open and Kisame burst in.

"KEIRA!" he yelled, wrenching her away from Sasuke. She didn't have to look at the man gripping her arm, she just had a feeling. Suddenly, she elbowed him in the chin and spun around to kick him. He stumbled back ward, but caught his ballance and pinned her against the wall, choking her. She clawed at his hand, trying to free herself. Sasuke jumped up and kicked him, forcing him to drop her. Kisame glared at him, but Sasuke wasn't paying attention anymore.

"Keira, you okay?" he asked. She lifted herself off the ground and smiled at him, nodding slowly.

"Yeah, I'm fine." she groaned. Sasuke turned around, only to find Kisame already gone and the door bolted shut. He turned back to her.

"Come here." he said gently, holding his hand out. She took it and he helped her back over to the corner he'd previously occupied. He sat down and pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and hugging her to his chest. She sighed and dragged the blanket with the two boxed lunches sitting on top toward her with her foot. She handed Sasuke one and drapped the blanket over them. They sat like that and ate the food, ocasionally glancing at each other.

Sasuke sat his empty box down next to them, followed a few seconds later by Keira. She sighed again and leaned back into him. "Sasuke"?" she asked, her voice barley above a whisper.

"What?" he asked, watching her closely. She turned around and leaned forward. Before he knew it, her lips were right beside his ear. He could feel her breath fluttering across the seal, giving him that rush of heat again.

"Would you hate me?" she asked, waiting expectantly. He hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. She sighed and pushed herself off him, using the wall. Slowly, she lowered her head until their lips brushed each other. Sasuke drew back, shocked at the unexpected contact. She stared at him, waiting to see what he'd do next. After getting over the initial shock, he lifted his eyes till they locked with her's. She stared at him, finally realizing just how cute he really was. As if on cue, he smiled at her.

"You're beautiful." he whispered. She blushed and suddenly became very interested in her shoes.

"No one's ever really said that before. Not like that." she mumbled. Sasuke cupped her cheek and kissed her. She flinched a little from the sudden movement in her neck, but covered it up by intertwining her fingers in his hair.

Sasuke's heart was racing. This was the closest he'd ever felt to a girl before. She was just like he was somehow. Both their lives ruined by Itachi. Both were extraordinary ninja. And both were locked in the same cell, worrying about the same thing.

He was terrified, but not for his own saftey. He was worried for the girl sitting in his lap. He didn't know what Itachi might do, let alone that creep, Kisame. Not to mention, how they were going to combine the bloodline traits without killing one another in the process.

She was horrified for herself, having decided long ago Sasuke could take care of himself. She'd heard the two discussing plans for the removal of her bloodline trait. Kisame had suggested something extremley drastic, but Itachi denied it and decided to combine their blood. Then, he'd use the Sharingan to copy her blood cells, therefore giving him the power he'd wanted. Either Itachi hadn't taken the time to realize that the same thing would happen to Sasuke, or he didn't think it was a treat at all.

Finally the two pulled back from the kiss, gasping for air. Sasuke blushed for being so forward, and Keira blushed from all the perverted things Sasuke could do to her in here. It was secluded from the rest of the world. But all he did was pull her back against his chest and lean against the wall. She relaxed and let herself be pulled back too.

"What about you? Isn't that uncomfortable?" she asked, suddenly worried.

"I'm fine, go ahead and sleep." he mumbled, working up the nerve to kiss her forehead. She nodded and turned around. Her eyes closed, but she stayed awake all night, listening to the calming sound of Sasuke's shallow breathing.

"Naruto we've been looking for _hours_!" Ino groaned. Sakura nodded, though she was still worried about Sasuke. Naruto gave them an irritated glare.

"And they've been gone for days! You don't know what happened to them! They could be getting tortured or worse!" he snapped. Ino groaned. "Fine, stay behind, I'll just tell your precious Sasuke he wasn't important enough to save." Ino glared at him but followed.

Sasuke opened his eyes to find Keira up and sitting across from him, against another wall. She was counting the cracks in the floor, obviously, starting where she'd left off last year. He groaned as a sharp pain shot through his body. She looked up at him, like she just realized he was there. She smiled at him, and he forced a smile back.

"Good morning..." she said, tossing him another lunch and his own blanket and pillow. Apparently, Itachi had stopped by again while he was sleeping. Lack of sleep for two days did that to a person. He caught them awkwardly, and opened the box. He began to shovel it into his mouth.

"Morning..." he mumbled.

"Itachi should be back soon. You can come with me, I'll show you my villiage!" she said, clapping her hands together excitedly. Sasuke's head shot up.

'So it really is another fake villiage. Great.' he thought. Keira didn't notice his sudden pause though, she was back to counting the cracks in the floor.


	9. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: i don't own naruto

Chapter** _EIGHT_**

Three hours passed and finally, as Keira predicted, Itachi appeared and opened the door. They both looked up grogily. He sighed and walked away, leaving the door wide open. Sasuke gave it a suspicious look. "He's just gonna let us go?" he asked. Keira nodded and stood.

"Yeah. He said he'd be back for us when he was ready." she said. Sasuke groaned and stood. His whole body ached for some reason. He shrugged it off and followed her out of the room. Keira wound her way through the huge underground hide out. Gradually, the hallways became more elegant and faded from plain cement to white walled, and red carpeted walkways. Suddenly, the hallway ended and it opened into a giant white marble room. Sasuke was about to ask why it was there when Keira beat him to it.

"The tunnels are connected to one giant building. The Shinohara estate. Welcome home!" she said, spinning around and clapping her hands in front of her. Sasuke gaped at her.

"This is your house?!" he asked in shock.

"Yep. My parents were murdered a long time ago. Now I live here by myself. Takashi, Akane, Kaine, and the rest of my friends stop by sometimes, though. So it's not so lonely and empty." she explained. He still gave her an odd look.

'Maybe it's not just a fake hidden villiage.' he thought. "What villiage is this anyway?" he asked suddenly.

"It's called Airienna. We're secluded from the rest of the the villiages by the ocean." she said turning to walk away. He followed her. She led him up a huge staircase into another hallway. At the end it split down the middle into four sections. She pointed to them and said they each led to a main part of the house. The kitchen was first, the livingroom was second, the bedrooms and the bathrooms were third, and the other minor parts, like the ballroom and training grounds were fourth. She began to walk toward the bedrooms.

Sasuke paused, unsure if he should follow her or not. She turned around and motioned for him to follow. He nodded reluctantly. She passed twenty some odd doors before stopping at the end and opening one. She dissapeared through it and into the adjoining bathroom. Inside the room, everything was either red or white. Her curtains were exactly the same color as blood red wine along with the carpet, couch and chairs, and the velvet comforter and pillows on her bed. The walls and celing were pure white, along with the doors, her bedframe, and her dresser.

There were countless picture frames on the dresser. He walked over to them and started to examine them carefully. The one that caught his eye was the biggest, and sitting right in the middle of them surrounded by red and blue roses. The frame itself was so delicate looking, engraved out of crystal, or so it seemed. There were two identicle black coffins, with elegant boquets of red roses on them, a black one laying on her fathers, and a blue one on her mothers. He guessed instantly that it was her parents funeral, but the two roses confused him.

The next one was carved out of black marble. Keira and Takashi were staring back at him. They were both dressed in black. Keira was wearing a beautiful black kimono with red intertwined at the rims of her sleeves and collar. Her hair was up in a loose bun and she was wearing dark red lipstick and black eyeshadow. Takashi was wearing a normal tuxedo. Sasuke couldn't help but notice his arm around her shoulder as she stared at the ground.

There was another one, just next to it, almost identicle. The frame was diamond though, and there were a few obvious differences in the picture. Keira's sister was standing in Takashi's spot. She wasn't as delicate looking as Keira was in the two pictures though. Her shoulder lengh black hair was fethered so it framed her face giving her a unique royal beauty. There was a noble air about her, you could just feel it when you looked at her. She wore an extremley expensive black kimono with a dark grey obi. Silver thread was weaved into the kimono itself, making the material shimmer. Another obvious detail was that Keira's hair was down, and it looked longer, barely past her shoulders. She was wearing an extremley elegant black kimono and a beautiful diamond necklace and ring. There was a white rose tucked behind her ear. She seemed broken in this picture, like she'd never be happy again. He wondered what could make her more miserable then her own parents funeral. The last detail was that she was staring directly at the camera this time, with her trademark distant gaze and her tear filled blue eyes.

The one on the other side of it was a faimily portrait. A fourty year old grumpy looking raven haired man with brown eyes stood next to a twenty year old smiling beautiful blonde woman with big blue eyes. In front of them, smiling innocently, were two young girls. The older girl with black hair and green eyes stood in front of her father. The other was a slightly shorter and happier girl with bright blonde hair and shining blue eyes. She was identicle to her mother.

Another was a picture of Keira, Akemi, Kaine, Takashi, Akane, and Aiko. They were standing in a line, with Keira in the middle. Takashi and Akemi were standing on either side of her. The rest of the pictures were just random events in time. He noticed that Takashi wasn't in very many of them, but Akane was in nearly all of them. And that her sister and father was only in two. Her mother was only in three. He also noticed that Akemi was in a lot of them, but dissapeared entirly when Keira was about thirteen.

The last picture he noticed was the one that shocked him the most. A picture of a boy identicle to Naruto was hugging Keira to his chest, staring absently over her shoulder. There was a white rose in her hands, and he was holding each of her hands in his, clasped in her lap. Keira stared at the rose. They were sitting on the bank of a giant river. The waterfall in the background reflected a rainbow in the moonlight. The mist and fireflies gave it a dreamy look. Sasuke picked up the ruby frame and turned it around, taking special care not to drop it. A note fluttered to the ground. He kneeled down and picked it up. It read:

So, this is what goodbye feels like... I'll miss you, and I'll see you again, someday. Just wear the ring I gave you and never forget me. I love you...

Sasuke's heart stopped for a second. The picture of Keira and her sister had been that boy's funeral. He folded it up and hid it back in the frame. He set it back on the dresser. He walked over and sat on her bed, noticing the bouquet of red roses. There was one white rose in the center of it, matching the bedside table it was sitting on. He suddenly noticed that her entire house smelled like roses.

The bathroom door opened and she walked out. Her hair was up again in a loose bun, and she was wearing a pair of slightly baggy black pants and a tight white t-shirt. She smiled at him and walked out of the room. He followed her quietly. She led him into another bedroom and into a closet. She told him to pick something warmer to wear. He nodded and picked a pair of baggy black pants to hide his ninja gear in, and he said he'd just wear the same shirt. She nodded and left the room while he changed. He readjusted his forehead protector and followed her out to the hallway.

They left the building and made their way toward the town. The first thing Sasuke realized was the shadows covered _everything_. It gave things a depresing yet beautiful look. The soft ocean breeze cooled them off and made everything sway back and forth. Keira led him down a gravel road, avoding his eyes at all costs. She seemed guilty, and he thought he saw a black and blue bruise on the inside of her arm, though he couldn't find a reasonable explination for anything that had happened that day.

First, Itachi had just let them go. Then he found out she was one of the only remaining members of the most powerful family in the land. Not to mention that her house was connected to the Akatsuki's hide out, and that the boy she loved had died some time ago. He couldn't explain the resembalance between her former lover and his best friend either.

They finally entered the town square and Keira began introducing him to all the shop owners, claiming she'd vistited them daily when she was back in town. He was stunned when a young boy with spikey blonde hair ran up to her and hugged her, screaming something about his 'mommy' coming home. When Sasuke questioned her, she said it was an old friend of her's younger brother she'd taken in a long time ago. He wasn't thouroughly convinced though.

The last shop they visited was a famous kimono store he'd never heard of. Keira sighed and pushed the door open. Inside, there were countless kimono everywhere. Keira didn't waste any time looking at them, she walked straight to the front desk. A nineteen or twenty year old looking girl greeted her.

Keira gave her name and the girl dissapeared into the back room. Sasuke gave Keira an odd look, though she pretended she didn't notice. The girl reapeared holding another black and silver kimono. She handed it over and nodded. Keira dissapeared around a corner and didn't return for ten full minutes.

When she did, she was wearing it, and she had put an extreme amount of dark make up on. Black eyeshadow and eyeliner and dark red lipstick with silver liner. She was dreamy, and definatly beautiful. She motioned for him to follow her and they left the store. They made their way toward an elegant building, almost as tall as a mountain itself. They passed through a huge red gate and kept going, climbing the winding marble path.

Countless cherry blossom trees lined the pathway. When the breeze blew, the blossoms would flutter to the ground. The sky was cloudy and grey, but Keira reasured him it wouldn't rain. They arrived at the doors and Keira rang the doorbell. A few seconds later, the doors swung open and a man dressed in a black suit stepped out. He took one look at Keira and stepped aside so she could enter. He led them up the stairs to the top of the landing and left them there.

A few more seconds, and a beautiful raven haired girl with sparkaling green eyes, around twenty looking walked down the left staircase. She was dressed in a royal kimono, the color of the setting sun. Hot pink set against a beautiful grey with the blue-green ocean in the back ground. She gave Keira a small smile and walked over to them.

"What brings you here?" she asked. Sasuke's heart flipped when he heard her voice. It was like Keira's only much more seductive, which was saying a lot. Keira wasn't smiling, nor did she look happy at all.

"You. You're pathetic!" she said, slapping her sister across the face. Sasuke noticed her sleeve was see through. Her sister sighed and smirked.

"Pathetic eh? I thought you'd enjoy seeing Riku again! After all, it's been such a _long_ time." she said, laughing slightly.

"Don't lie to me! You did it on purpose! Riku's already a Jounin! Everyone knows it! I went through hell with Takashi for that you wench!" she said, stomping her right foot. Her sister gave her a smug look, but her cocky attitude had faded.

"Takashi's mine. You have no right to take him from me." she said fiercly.

"Jetta I didn't take him from you! Takashi never loved you! STOP PLAYING WITH US!" she cried, clenching her fists by her side. Her sister scowled at her.

"So that's what you're doing back here. Or do you miss your beloved Kiyoshi?!" Jetta screamed, taking a step forward and closing her eyes, slapping Keira as hard as she could. Sasuke swore he saw his life flash before his eyes as he watched the younger girl jump on her sister and knock her back into the wall. Jetta fought back fiercly and before Sasuke really had any idea of what had happened, Jetta had Keira pinned against the wall by her neck, the exact same way Kisame had. "You're the pathetic one." she spat and dropped her. Keira fell forward and landed on her knees while her fists hit the carpeted floor between her legs, bracing herself. When she looked up, her sister had vanished.

Sasuke walked over to her and helped her up. She sighed and pulled her arm away from him. "You saw the picture, you read the note. Don't pretend like you don't know all about it!" she whispered.

"I don't though. I have no idea what happened before I met you." he said gently. She paused.

"Follow me." she said, grabbing his hand and leaving the mansion. It was dark now, and the air was pleasently warm. They slowly made their way back to the town square and from there, they took a smaller side trail. Keira led him to a river, the same river she visited with Kiyoshi. The waterfall was beautiful, and the fireflies were fluttering around aimlessly.

Sasuke watched as Keira untied the sash around her waist and slipped the kimono off her shoulders. She picked it up and hung it on a branch of a nearby tree. She untied her haori and hung it next to her kimono. She was just wearing the top part of her ninja outfit and her extremley tight mini skirt now. Suddenly, she unzipped the side of the skirt and slipped it off. Sasuke blushed as he realized that her ninja outfit was also a bikini that tied above her hips.

She walked over to him and slipped his shirt off over his head. He blushed as she hugged him to her chest. She unbuttoned his pants and unzipped them. Sasuke's blush deepened. She leaned down and pulled them off, as he stepped out of them. He was wearing a black pair of boxers and that was it. She dragged her hands over his thighs and hips, slowly making her way to stand back up.

When she was standing behind him again, she began to kiss his neck. Sasuke moaned as her fingers danced across his chest. Suddenly, he spun around and grabbed her shoulders. He kissed her full on the lips. Keira automatically opened her mouth and he slipped his tongue in. She intertwined her fingers in his hair. Sasuke moaned again. Keira pulled away from him and pressed his forehead to her chest

"Come on Sasuke, I know you want it." she moaned in his ear. He paused, then nodded. Keira pushed him away, then dragged him over to the water. "We won't do it right now. Wait till we get home." she said, pulling him down with her, into the water. She heaved herself into his lap and turned around. She stratled his waist and leaned forward. She kissed his neck and massaged his shoulders. His breathing quickened again.

"You're killing me." he moaned. She giggled and smiled at him.

"Do you want it? Or does your body?" she asked.

"I... I want it..." he said finally. Keira smiled and stood up.

"Ever done it before?" she asked. Sasuke shook his head. "I have, so don't worry." Keira said, kissing his lips. When she pulled away, Sasuke tried not to frown. "Eh heh! You're adorable!" she said, pulling his hand so he stood up. She pressed her body to his. "Wow... You really do want it..." she whispered, her eyes widened as she released his hand. Sasuke blushed and frowned.

"That's not fair! Why do girls get to pick on guys but we can't pick on you?" he yelped, defending his pride. Keira smiled and ran her palms down the sides of his stomach. She trailed them to his lower back and pulled him closer.

"Because... It's kinda hot." she moaned, forcing him to do the same. Suddenly, she jumped out of the water and grabbed her clothes. Sasuke gave her an odd look. She smiled seductivly and dissapeared. He sighed and heaved himself out of the water, grabbing his clothes and following her.


	10. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: i don't own naruto

Chapter** _NINE_**

AN - I kept my word. This chapter has _more than one_ lemon, or so I'm planning. Another way graphic scene with _lots_ of violence and evilness between Keira and Itachi, and maybe a little later, Kisame. I don't suggest skipping this chapter though, it has a lot of vital information about Kiyoshi, that you'll need to know for the rest of the story to make sense.

AN2 - I don't intend to make this entirly Sasuke and Keira. Naruto gets his romantic moments with her too, though, so don't worry, all is not lost. And don't forget the deaths. Yes people, quite a few of them!!!

Sasuke appeared in front of Keira's house. She was waiting for him on the balcony, two storys up. She smiled and waved down. Sasuke noticed she'd changed into a see through black robe and her hair was down. She'd whiped the make up off her eyes, but left the red lipstick on. He couldn't help but notice that the robe she was wearing was tied loosely and it opened to show her chest. He blushed, then focused his chakra on his feet and jumped, landing gracefully on the balcony in front of her. "Impresive." she whispered, kissing him. When she pulled away, she noticed Sasuke was panting.

"We're really going to do this?" he asked. Keira smiled.

"If you want to." she said. When he nodded, she pushed him back through the doorway leading to the bedroom next to Keira's and closed the door behind her. The bedroom was all black and blue. The carpet was black, and the walls were blue. The curtains were black, along with the comforter on the queen sized bed. She turned and noticed Sasuke gaping at her body like a hungry dog. "You like it? I had it made a year ago. For really hot summer nights, ya know?" she said, lifting her arm and rubbing the side of his neck that posessed the curse seal. Sasuke shivered and nodded.

"You really are beautiful." he said, pressing his palm to her chest. Keira blushed and pushed him back onto her bed. She smirked as he closed his eyes, ready for her to kiss him. She straddled his hips and leaned down. Sasuke reached up and grabbed her shoulders. He began to slide the see through material off her, stopping when it exposed her chest fully. He blushed, but couldn't stop staring at her. She smirked and pressed her chest against his. She didn't hesitate to pull his boxers off. He blushed the hardest she'd seen yet. The last thing she pulled off him was the forehead protector.

She untied the robe and pulled it off, crawling back into the bed. Sasuke moaned as she kissed his neck. She swung her leg over him and straddled his stomach just above his hips, her hands were pressed against his chest. "You sure you want to?" she asked. He nodded. She put his hands on her hips and let him guide her. Before either of them knew it, he was inside her. They both moaned as she rocked back and forth, her fingernails digging into his skin. Sasuke kept his hands on her hips and followed her movements. She bit her lip and clung to his shoulders as another wave of pleasure racked her body. Sasuke's heart soared when she moaned his name. Not Itachi's, but his own. It was a personal satisfaction that she'd slept with him of her own accord, and he hadn't had to force himself on her.

Sasuke had never experienced anything like this. She felt so good. It was burning him, but in a good way. The fire spreading through his body was becoming more intense, and it started to make him wonder why the curse seal wasn't activating. Usually, extreme emotions like this set it off. Keira herself had said she'd delt with this before. Maybe she was keeping it in check while she encreased her speed. He couldn't take it anymore. She screamed his name as the fire erupted through his veins. She collapsed on him and he wrapped his arms around her protectivly.

"That was amazing." he sighed. Keira nodded and buried her face into the crook of his neck. Before he could blink, she had covered them with the comforter. She was pulling away from him, getting ready to leave. He grabbed her hand and pulled her down next to him. "Stay with me." he said. She nodded and lifted the comforter. She crawled under it and snuggled up to him. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder as she rested her head on his chest.

Sasuke awoke the next morning to find Keira missing from his side. He sighed and sat up, fully intent on putting his clothes back on, but they were missing. He groaned and searched the room for anything else he could pass off as clothing. As if on cue, Keira walked into the room holding his clothes and a few others. She set them on the dresser.

"Sleep well?" she asked. Sasuke nodded and tried to stand. Keira giggled and pushed him back down on the bed. She tossed his original clothes to him and turned her back to finish putting the rest of his new clothes away. Sasuke blushed but began pulling them on. Keira watched his relfection in the mirror, mentally laughing at herself the whole time. When he was done, he glanced at her only to find she'd already looked away. Sasuke grumbled to himself. He was sure she was watching him. Keira walked over to him and sat on the bed next to him.

She was wearing a tight white halter top and another white mini skirt. Sasuke blushed and stared at her. She smiled at him and kissed his cheek. Then she stood up and grabbed his hand. She led him out of the room and down the hallway. Sasuke was too embaressed to talk, and Keira was just to spaced out to bring it up. She led him through the hallways to her kitchen.

"Hungry?" she asked. He glanced at her, and nodded. She sighed and walked over to the cabinet. She opened it and Sasuke's jaw dropped.

"That's the most food I've ever seen in one place..." he gasped. There were rows of food, piled high and it streatched around the entire room. Sasuke ran over to the fridge and opened it. He grabbed whatever he thought looked good and started cramming it piece by piece into his mouth. Keira watched him in overwhelming amusment.

"Guess you _were_ hungry..." she mumbled. Sasuke blushed and slowed down.

"Sorry..." he mumbled back.

"It's okay, you haven't had anything to eat for a while now. Well, real food anyway. Go ahead. I'm gonna go take a shower." she said, walking through a door to another hallway. She gave Sasuke a backward glance. He just kept staring at her. She sighed in disbelief and he blushed. "Geeze Uchiha, you're worse than I am." she said, walking over to him. He couldn't look her in the eye so he stared at the floor.

"I can't help it..." he mumbled. Keira smiled at him and told him to go back to his room. She'd meet him there in six minutes. Sasuke nodded and left.

Keira made her way to his room, wearing a bright pink bath robe. She arrived at his door and knocked. He opened it and smiled at her. She quirked her eyebrow to see if he was ready. "Oh, right, sorry." he said, closing the door behind him. He was just in his boxers again. She smirked and took his hand.

The bathroom Keira had chosen was apparently the fanciest and the biggest. There was no shower, or toilet, but there was a huge bath three feet deep. The way it was set up, there was a ledge on the side about a foot and a half under water where you could sit. It was natural looking, with rocks and stones on the side of it. The water was sparkaling blue and the floor was wooden. Keira pulled off her robe and lowered herself into the water. Sasuke pulled his boxers off while she wasn't looking and got in. Her eyes darted to him.

Keira swam over to him and pushed him back against the edge of the bath. She pressed her lips against his roughly. His hands traced their way all over her body. She moaned and trailed kisses down his jaw bone. She reached his neck, on the opposite side of the curse seal, and trailed her tongue from the crook of his neck to his jaw line. She grazed his ear with her teeth. Sasuke's hands found their way to her hips and heaved her onto the ledge of the bath, into his lap. She sat up on her knees and began to lower herself onto him.

Suddenly, she stopped herself and reached her hand out, pressing it over the curse seal. Sasuke hadn't even noticed it when it activated. She pulled her hand away and stared at it. He saw the blood begin to drip from her palm. He wriggled out from underneath her to get a better look. There, burned on her palm, was the curse seal.

"What happened?" he asked worridly. Keira's attention snapped back to him.

"Kiyoshi... was the one with the seal. He tried to fight Itachi to save me, but he ended up dying. He knew he was going to, so he wrote me that letter. He left everything he owned to me. In the end, most of it was trash, he never really stayed in one spot long enough to have anything of value. But there was a diamond ring, he told me to wear at all times and I'd never forget him. He gave me a white rose the last time I saw him. I still have it, and it's been reinforced with chakra to keep it alive. Right before he left, he took me back to his apartment and we..." she trailed off.

"You don't have to say it, I already know what you did." he said. He gave her a nod and told her to go on.

"The seal was totally activated when he died. I tried to save him, he would have lived if it weren't for the seal eating away at his chakra. I'd tried too hard though and it burned the seal's mark onto my hand. That's how I got my bloodline limit. He was the one who'd taught me how to receed the curse when it was at it's worst." she took a deep breath and glanced at him.

"Keep going..." he said, rubbing her shoulders. She seemed cold all of a sudden.

"He... He taught me what life really was. After the death of my parents I got really depressed and I even tried to kill myself. Kiyoshi saved me. He kept yelling at me, saying I didn't know what it was like to feel misery. At least I had a place to come home to. He inspired me to become a ninja after I was attacked by Itachi. He helped me calm down, and finally, a year after my attack, I was able to have a normal relationship without thinking of Itachi at all. Although, it is a lot harder with you..." she said, smiling at him.

"So I owe him a lot." he mumbled. Keira smiled and kissed his cheek again.

"Almost as much as I do." she whispered, pushing him back and sitting on him again. "Don't worry, it doesn't hurt anymore. Plus, I did promise." she said, breathing on the seal. In an instant, Sasuke was back in the mood. He grabbed her hips and pulled her down slowly. She moaned as he lifted her up again. "You're getting good at this." she whispered in his ear.

"It's only my second time." he moaned back.

"That's all it takes." she said, squeezing his shoulder. He kept guiding her, slowly loosing the embaresment he'd felt since last night. He let her take over and cupped her breasts. She blushed and wrapped her fingers in his hair. She screamed one last time and collapsed on him, splashing water everywhere.

Keira and Sasuke were sitting in her bedroom, quietly enjoying each other's company. She was brushing her hair in front of the mirror, while Sasuke sat behind her on the bed. He was watching her with a dazed expresion. She put the brush down and turned to smile at him. He snapped out of his day dream and smiled back.

"How do you like it here?" she asked, walking over to him and sitting down next to him. Sasuke smirked.

"It's okay, I guess." he said, sticking his nose in the air. He crossed his arms in front of his chest. Keira quirked an eyebrow.

"Oh really, I do have more than one bedroom ya know. You don't have to be here." she snapped. Sasuke's smirk faded.

"I was kidding!" he yelped. Keira dived on him.

"I know!" she said, pushing herself off him. She pulled off her bath robe and put on the bikini part of her ninja outfit. Sasuke gave her an odd look when she turned back around and threw a pair of swimming trunks at him. He barley caught them. "Hurry up and put em on!" she said, walking out of the room. Sasuke did as he was told, and set his forehead protector on her table, then followed her out of the room.

She was waiting for him at the end of the hallway. She was wearing the black robe from the night before. She waved for him to follow her. He ran down the hallway after her. They left the building and walked to the town square. "Where are we going?" he asked. Keira pointed at the horizon. "We're leaving?" he asked in confusion.

"No... I want you to see the ocean." she said, guiding him along a path that slowly faded from gravel to sand. She walked in silence, staring at the moon with a small smile.

"The days don't last long here do they? It's night all the time." he said, staring at the moon too. Keira nodded as she clasped her hands behind her back.

"Yeah..." she said solemly. Sasuke caught up with her.

"Is something wrong?" he asked gently. She shook her head and smiled at him, though she made no attempt to wipe the tears from her cheeks.

"I'm okay." she said, adverting her eyes from his and running to the beach. Sasuke sighed and followed, becoming iritatingly aware of how much she surpassed him in power. By the time he arrived at the shoreline, she was already sitting with her feet in the water, and leaning back on her hands. He walked up to her, and sat down a few feet away. She gave him a confused look, but he refused to even glance at her.

She stood and walked away from him, heading in the direction of the moon. Suddenly, he heard her gasp and she started running. His eyes drifted to her footprints, only to find her fallen tears. He stared up at the moon, wondering why she invited him if she was going to get worked up over Kiyoshi and run away. He felt bad for her, it must have been hard being home again. He could tell she wasn't the most popular in her family, and the villiagers held little to no respect for her at all.

He figured it was because of her sister, Jetta Shinohara. Jetta was jelous because Takashi didn't love her, he loved Keira. But, Keira was in love with Kiyoshi. And from the sounds of things, that only fuled Jetta's anger. For all he knew, Kiyoshi was a rouge ninja.

Keira stopped running and stared at the moon. She could feel him again. He was so close. She felt a hand clamp down on her shoulder and tears came to her eyes. "Kiyoshi..." she whispered as she spun around. Itachi was glaring at her. He slapped her and she was flung to the ground, where she lay gasping for air between her sobs.

"He's dead damn it!" Itachi snapped. He grabbed her arm and yanked her off the ground. "You hear that? HE'S GONE!" he yelled. Keira just cried harder and let him throw her down. She hit the sand, landing on her back and staring at the moon again. A fresh wave of tears came to her eyes. "Your precious Kiyoshi died and here you are, giving yourself up to my little brother." he growled.

"That's it isn't it?" she asked, her voice still shaking. "You're just jelous that your weak little brother makes a better lover than you?!" Itachi's anger snapped. He yanked her up by her hair and crushed her to him, kissing her roughly. Keira yelped and tried to push him away. It didn't take long before she felt the familiar burning feeling in her heart and her head began to pound. Her body became unusually heavy and she collapsed into him. She glared into his eyes, seeing that he had indeed activated the Sharingan.

"No..." she whispered. He smiled twistedly and kissed her again. This time she watched as her body reacted, her hands slipping around his neck. She felt Sasuke's chakra aproaching and tried to fight back even harder. Before she could do anything, she heard someone gasp. Itachi threw Keira to the ground and spun around to glare at Sasuke. Keira began to regain some control of her body, which ached horribly.

She lifted herself to watch the fight, and realized that the robe she'd warn was open and her ninja outfit was torn down the middle, leaving it hanging from around her neck. She reached her numb arms up and untied it, throwing it to the ground next to her. She was totally exposed now, with the exception of the lower half of the bikini, and the black see through robe covering her. A wave of fatigue over came her and she braced herself on her hands. She couldn't move to cover herself up at all.

Sasuke ran toward Itachi, fully intent on killing him. Suddenly, he froze. It was only for a brief second, then he came to his senses and charged at him again. Keira realized Itachi'd used the Sharingan on him. She couldn't understand why, it would only make Itachi weaker and Sasuke more intent on killing him. Before Sasuke could come within two feet of Itachi, the older brother dissapeared. Sasuke froze in his spot.

Itachi reapeared behind Keira and grabbed her around the waist, heaving her to her feet. He leaned her head to the side. "You'll pay for that coment." he said in her ear, though it was just loud enough for Sasuke to hear it too. He threw her to the ground and dissapeared. Sasuke ran over to her and propped her up in his lap.

"Just what the hell do you think you're doing?" he yelled. Tears welled up in her eyes as he slapped her. It was the first time he'd ever shown any sign of physical agression toward her at all, not counting training.

"It's not what you think..." she said, staring up at him. Sasuke glared at her, then his eyes softened and he helped her stand. She tried to walk but collapsed. Sasuke caught her in mid fall.

"Don't push yourself." he said, kneeling down and letting her climb on his back. He wrapped his arms around her legs and stood again. She clung to his neck as he began walking to her house.


	11. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: i don't own naruto

_**Chapter TEN**_

Itachi slammed the door behind him as he stormed into the room. Kisame and a girl he was with jumped and gave him wide eyed looks. "Something happen?" he asked. Itachi glared a hole in the floor.

"She did it. She fucking did it." he yelled, punching a hole in the concrete wall. "And then, she's got the nerve to reject me, and then she tells me I'm jelous because my weak little brother makes a better lover than me... YEAH RIGHT!" he roared, punching another hole next to it.

Kisame raised an eyebrow. He said something to the blonde haired girl sitting in his lap. She nodded and left the room. Kisame turned to Itachi and waved lazily. "Be back whenever." he mumbled and left too.

"Damn him, my head still hurts." she snapped. Sasuke glanced over his shoulder at her. She was holding her head and holding back tears.

"Are you okay?" he asked. She nodded and tightened her hold on him. He turned back around and quickened his pace. Suddenly, her grip lessened.

"Sasuke stop." she groaned, as she fell. He spun around and caught her.

"Keira! What's wrong?" he yelped. She sat in silence for at least twenty seconds, holding her head, and gasping for air. Then she looked up and smiled, though he'd never seen her smile like that.

"Nothing." she said, jumping up. "C'mon, let's go!" she grabbed his hand and ran across the beach.

They were back in the town square and Keira was still dragging him along. They were in front of her house. She opened the door and forced him inside. She ran up the steps, yelling over her shoulder to him. "Go back and wait for me in your room!"

Keira burst through his door and threw a new pair of clothes at him. He barely caught them before she jumped on his bed and stared at him, with a smile. "Naruto, Takashi and everyone else are on their way here! They're in the town somewhere. I already told Takashi to meet us at the bar. So put those on and we can go." she explained.

"How'd they find us?" he asked, as he pulled the clothes on.

"Takashi. He knew what had happened as soon as Naruto mentioned Itachi." she said, tying the forehead protector around his forehead.

"Oh..." was all he could think of. What else could he say?

She stood up and walked out of the room. Sasuke followed her. Keira appeared behind him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "You said you wanted to know more about my bloodline trait. Here we go!" she said, activating the curse seal scar on her hand. It began to glow a bright blue, then they vanished.

The darkness closed in all around them, suffocating them both. It seemed to last for hours, but it was only a matter of seconds. They stood in front of a building, with flashy lights and big iron doors. Keira pushed them open and walked through. Sasuke just now realized what she was wearing. It was a white tank top that stopped a little above her belly button, with see through sleeves that reached past her fingertips. Her mini skirt stopped just a few centimeters below what it was supposed to cover. Her ninja belt was on and she had the kunai pouch wrapped around her right thigh. Sasuke looked down and noticed he had all his ninja gear too. He was wearing his original outfit.

"C'mon!" she said, pulling him over to a table in the corner. A waitress who was walkinig by stopped to take their orders. Keira ordered to beers and kicked Sasuke when he began to protest.

"I don't drink though..." he hissed once the girl had dissapeared. Keira slid around the circular seat until she was practically sitting on him.

"You do now." she said, forcing a cheereful note to her voice. Suddenly, a kunai zoomed right in between them, forcing the two to scoot away from each other.

"Getting a little to friendly." Takashi grumbled as he walked over to them.

"Shouldn't be so jelous. Jetta's beyond mad with you." Keira snapped, pulling him down next to her.

"Like I give a damn." he grumbled, looking the other way. Keira smirked and turned his head back toward her.

"You shouldn't be so reckless..." she growled.

"Neither should you. Face it, you ran right into his trap." Takashi growled back. Keira snorted and looked up. Kaine's face greeted her.

"Hi!" he said, waving frantically. She smiled uneasily.

"Where's the others?" she asked.

"They're on their way. Naruto's gang's with 'em too." Kaine said, then added the last part to Sasuke. Keira's eyes widened.

"Is Akane..." she began. Takashi cut her off with a growl.

"He's fine, stop worrying so damn much!" he said fiercly.

"I was just wondering! Lose the fucking attitude!" she snapped back. Takashi glared at her. Keira's eyes were set, and she was frowning. Suddenly, she pushed him back and climbed over him. Then she sat on the other side of him and gave Kaine a warning look. He backed away a little. Suddenly, the doors opened, and everyone ran in. They looked around and spotted Keira and Sasuke. Everyone ran over to them and crowded around the table. Ino, Sakura, Naruto, and all the other ninja from the hidden village were cooing over Sasuke while Akemi, Aya, Aiko, and the others were fighting to see if Keira was okay.

"What happened to you?! You're covered in bruises!" Akemi yelled, squeezing to the front of the line. Akane followed her. Keira smiled nervously at Akemi's keen eye sight. Then, she caught sight of Akane. Tears welled up in Keira's eyes as she jumped on him.

"You're okay!" she whispered, hugging his waist. His eyes shot all the way open and he froze for a second. Then he snapped back to reality and hugged her back.

"Yep." he mumbled and let her go. She pulled away from him and smiled. She grabbed his hand and sat down next to Takashi. Aiko sat down next to Akane, followed by Akemi, and Aya, and Kaine.

Sakura sat in between Sasuke and Keira, and Naruto sat on the other side of Sasuke, followed by Chouji, Kiba, Hinata, and finally Ino. The waitress who'd been by earlier came back, balancing eight beers on a tray. She handed them to Keira, Takashi, Sasuke, Kaine, Akemi, Aya, Akane, and Aiko. She turned to the others and asked what they wanted. Sakura shook her head and said she didn't want anything, along with Hinata. Naruto, Ino, Kiba, and Chouji all ordered beers too. They sat and talked for two hours before Keira stood and said she was getting tired. Sasuke was about to excuse himself to go with her when Takashi beat him to it. The two exited the bar, walking toward her house. Sasuke followed her silently, having excused himself for being too drunk.

"Why'd you do that?" Takashi asked suddenly.

"Do what?" she snapped, caught off gaurd a little.

"You smothered Akane." he said simply.

"I was just worried." she lied.

"Don't pull that shit with me. I know you better than that." he said, lowering his voice. He stopped and grabbed her hand. She was a little off ballance from the alcohol, so she naturally fell into him. Sasuke watched all of this from his hiding spot in the trees. "Is there something you're not telling us?" he asked softly. She averted her eyes so she didn't have to look him in the face. Slowly she nodded. He hugged her, without warning, causing her to yelp.

"What..." she began to ask. Takashi's arm wrapped itself around her waist and his hand rested gently on the back of her head.

"You're pregnant." he stated. She wrenched herself out of his grasp and gave him a horrified look.

"No! I'm not!" she yelped, checking her unaturally slim waist line.

"Then what's wrong? You're not acting like yourself." he said. She lowered her head and nodded. "Well then what's wrong?" he asked, walking toward her slowly.

"It hurts a lot... I didn't expect it. My entire head won't stop pounding." she whispered.

"So he really finished things?" he asked, his voice rising dangerously. She nodded as she lifted her gaze to meet his.

"He really used me for it. I thought for one second, things would just work themselves out for once..." she whispered, as she crossed her arms protectivly in front of her chest. "I don't know what I was expecting all those years. I half hoped I _was_ pregnant at one point, so he wouldn't leave me." she said, as she smiled sadly. "It's scary though. I'm not the right kind of girl to be a mother. I see young women all the time on the streets with their children, and they're smiling and laughing and having fun just relaxing. I could never be there for them, ya know?"

"You can live with me. I'll help you, I swear. I've seen you with Akemi's neice, you're great with kids." he said.

"That's not what I'm saying! I'd love to marry you! I'd give anything to live with you! But you know Itachi won't let us!" she said, the tears starting to come.

"Itachi?! That's what this is all about?!" he paused, looking at the ground. Suddenly his head shot up. "If I kill him, will you marry me?" he asked, squeezing her hand. She was so caught off gaurd, she gasped. "I'll build you the fanciest house you've ever seen. Bigger than Jetta's. You can finally have your little boy I know you've always wanted... Come on!" he begged, his eyes starting to tear up. "I hate seeing you suffer."

"Baka you know I can't..." she said, hugging him to her. He wasn't taking no for an answer though.

"Keira, I can do it. I can! He's ruined your life enough. I can tell he hurt you again..." he mumbled, cupping her cheek.

"It was my fault. I said something I shouldn't have." she whispered.

"What? It must have been horrible. Itachi doesn't normally hit you like this." he said, brushing the bruise next to her eye.

"I snapped when he made a stupid comment about Kiyo, and I said he was jelous because his little brother made a better lover than him." she explained. Sasuke nearly fell out of the tree at catching that remark.

"What about me?" he asked suddenly.

"Eh?" was all she could think to say. It was such a random question it made her brain stop working for a split second. "Does he make a better lover than you?" she asked. He nodded sheepishly, obviously ashamed he'd let the question slip. For a second or two he thought she was going to say yes, then she shook her head. "Nope, you're the best." she said, smiling slightly.

"Won't Akane say something?" he asked, as she reached her hand out to caress his cheek.

"He owes us one." she said, kissing him lightly on the lips. Takashi smirked then he frowned and pushed her away a little.

"Stop throwing yourself at random people. I don't want to see you hurt anymore than you already are." he said, making sure he didn't let go of her.

"Throwing myself? Takashi I..." she began to protest.

"You're still seeing Itachi, and his brother too. I've known about you and Akane, and of course there's always me. One of these days you're going to screw yourself over and lose everything you've ever owned." he said, making sure it sank in before he let her speak.

"It's a little late for that, huh? Kiyo didn't exactly leave me with everything I hoped for." she said smiling slightly. Takashi didn't know what to say, he just stood there and stared at her. "It's late, I'm going home..." she said suddenly. Takashi shook his head to snap himself out of his day dream.

"I'll walk you home!" he offered, running to catch up with her.


	12. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: i don't own naruto

**Chapter ELEVEN**

Takashi smiled and waved goodbye as she dissapeared inside the manor. The first thing she noticed, unwillingly of course, was Kisame standing right in front of her when she turned around. She'd ran right into him, causing him to throw her into the nearest object. Her head was the first thing that connected with the white wall, leaving a giant splotch of blood across it as she slid to the ground. He glared at her as she heaved herself up, supporting her weight on her left ankle. Her eyes locked with his and she glared back. "I don't know what kind of shit you plan on pulling here, but it's not working." he sneared. Her intense gaze faltered as she dropped her glare and replaced it with a look of mild concern.

"What plan?" she asked, faking to be innocent.

"Th... THAT PLAN!" he yelled, slapping her again. She didn't fall like she usually did though. He was holding back for some reason. "Itachi's been good to you and how do you repay him? With that?!" he yelled, slapping her again. This time, she was flung into the wall again.

"That's not it..." she gasped. He gave her a confused glare.

"Then _what?_" he snapped.

"I... I love..." she began.

"You?! You _love_ someone?! Interesting. Of all people, I never imagined _you_ to love someone." Kisame spat. In the flash of an eye, he was gone. Keira fell to the ground, clutching her head. Takashi burst through the doors and ran over to her.

"KEIRA!" he yelped. Her head was bleeding immensly now, she'd lost about three pints of blood already. Sasuke followed Takashi into the room, yet froze when he saw how injured she was. Before anyone knew what was going on, she passed out.

"What happened?" Sasuke asked quietly.

"ITACHI!" Takashi yelled.

"Itachi?" Sasuke repeated quietly. Itachi appeared three inches in front of Takashi, sneering horribly. Takashi didn't say anything. He jumped up and started throwing every attack he knew at Itachi. After several minutes of Takashi being pulvurized, while Sasuke was froze in place, Takashi landed a serious blow to Itachi's head. He was thrown backward three feet from the force of the explosion, which released his hold on Sasuke.

Both younger boys ran to Keira's side. Takashi glanced at Sasuke. "Take her to her bedroom then go get everyone else. Don't tell anyone where she is though. Come back here and help. When the fight's over, go check on her. Remember, if we die, she dies. Motivation, okay?" Takashi instructed. Sasuke nodded, to confused to argue. He picked her limp form up and took off toward the stairs. A kunai whizzed by his ear, just missing him. Itachi was up again. Sounds of fighting were eliminating from downstairs quite clearly as Sasuke placed Keira in her bed.

He covered her with a white comforter, not caring that blood was slowly staining it. The faster Itachi died, the faster he could help her. It wasn't an easy decision to leave her there, looking so helpless and fragile, so he locked the door and practically flew to the bar. Surprisingly, no one was extremley drunk yet. He announced to everyone that Itachi was killing Takashi and they were in desperate need of help.

Everyone jumped up and teleported back to the manor. The lights were off in the entire building, and the setting sun gave off an errie pinkish orange glow through the ballroom windows. Neji announced that Itachi was still in the building though there was a strange interference that he couldn't quite place. It made locating the Uchiha utterly impossible. Hinata confirmed that he was in the lower west portion of the building and everyone ran off in that direction.

All most everyone. The guilt had been to much for Sasuke. At the last second, he grabbed Sakura and Naruto and dragged them up the stairs. He couldn't speak as he made his way to her room. He reached her floor and nearly screamed when he saw her door, the one he'd locked just minutes ago, wide open. He sped up, causing Sakura and Naruto to fall slightly behind. There was only one thing running through his mind.

_'Shit.'_


	13. Chapter 12 Last Chapter

Disclaimer: i don't own naruto

**Chapter TWELVE last chapter**

Sasuke threw the door open and ran into the room. It held an errie glow to it now. The curtains cast a crimson light in the setting sun. He looked around frantically, searching for any sign of her. Suddenly, he noticed something laying in her bed. He ran over to it and stopped, with his hand hovering over the figure. A red see-through cover was placed over Keira. She was laying peacefully, with a white rose clasped in between her hands. The rose was centered on her chest the flower itself level with her heart.

Naruto ran into the room, and froze in the door way as Sasuke pulled the cover off her. Her beautiful blonde hair was curled and she was wearing a dark blue eyeshadow, and a deep red lipstick. Tears slid down Sasuke's cheeks as he fell to his knees. Sakura came running up behind Naruto. She stopped as she collided with him. She observeyed the sight in front of her and stepped past him, stopping just to his left. She backed into him when she saw Keira's lifeless body. Naruto wrapped his arms around her. Sasuke's hopeless cries echoed through her house. He couldn't believe it. She was really gone. She had really died.

Their funerals were held two days later. Keira was burried next to Kiyoshi, and Takashi was burried with his family. Everyone from Konoha and Airienna had come to honor the two brave shinobi. Keira's locket hung around Sasuke's neck. It held two pictures of her. One from the beginning, and one from the end. He'd stare at them and remember how much she'd changed. How much she'd sacrificed for him.

Keira's casket was carved out of black diamond, just like her parent's. She was wearing the same kimono she'd worn to Kiyoshi's funeral. The same rose was still clasped between her hands. Her hair was still curled, but it was clean now. There was a white marble table in front of her casket, with a black velvet cover drapped across the top. A pile of red, yellow, and pink roses were piled neatly there. A single black rose lay on top of the pile, as a Jetta dissapeared around a corner. Sasuke was the last to see her before they closed the coffin and lowered her into the ground. He threw the white rose on her casket as they started to cover it. He watched as they rolled the ground cover overtop of the grave, and that was the last he ever saw of Keira Shinohara.

When he returned home, he found a letter laying on his dresser. He picked it up and unfolded it. As his eyes skimmed over the beautiful caligraphy writing, tears began to form.

Sasuke,

You can't unilve your life or take back your actions. There's never been a definite right or wrong in any of this. So long as you've got someone who loves you despite everything you've done and everything you didn't do, you've succeded. So as long as you're at peace now, none of this was a waste.

Sasuke dropped the paper.

The Konoha Memorial is something of sacred importance to the Leaf shinobi for there is no greater honor than at the end of your days to have your name inscribed upon that stone. Now a new hero has found her place. Keira Shinohara was gracefully carved there, for no one could ever remember a woman who lived more beautifully than her. She followed her own path to the end and found her way back to Uchiha, because wherever he lived was home for her.

And that was good enough.


	14. Sakura's POV

Disclaimer: i don't own naruto

**Chapter THIRTEEN **Sakura's POV

Things haven't been the same since that day. His feelings for her haven't faded and he can still find a natural smile when we talk. But all in all, I can see the change. He dreams of her, I think, and sometimes I find myself jelous. Not because she's on his mind and she's locked herself inside his heart, but that she was such a remarkable person. I hadn't known her as well as I thought, and he rarely spoke of her in any of our time together. I envy her strenght in some ways. Though he reminds me that I am me and that in itself is beautiful enough. I am what he wants me to be without having to change myself to fit those needs.

But on those nights when he can't escape all she was for him and all she was able to change for him, I watch him from a distance. He chooses usually to sit in an open windowsill, despite that it's usually raining on these days. He smokes quietly, making a silent offering in her name. Because deep down, I know in my heart he'll always love her...

there will be a sequel


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